Diaphragm side curtain



April 11, 1950 L. R. SCHUSTER ET AL DIAPHRAGM SIDE CURTAIN Filed Oct. 29, 1945 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR AALZZLW Q. 3mg.

April 11,1950

Filed Oct. 29, 1945.

31 3 3 37 g 8 E 8 Q I 8 24 8 g 8 8 s Q Q 8 L.R.SCHUSTER ETAL DIAPHRAGM SIDE CURTAIN 2 Sh96ts-Sheet-2 INVENTORS K. 6 41:, a. 62129.,

Patented Apr. 11 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Leonard It. SchustenSan Francisco, and Otto'B.

-Schoenky Los Angeles, Calif.

.ApplicationOctoberZB, 1945, Serial N05625J1'24 The present invention relates to diaphragm curtains for closing the spaces between the ends 'o'f'coupled or articulated railway cars.

The principal object-of the invention is to provi'de'a construction in which-the flexible curtains 'c'a'nbe made of inelastic material, "such ascoated 'or*uncoatedwoven textile material, thereby e1iminating the use of rubber, which is presently scarce "and is unsatisfactory because of its short ilife.

Another object ofthe invention is topr'ovide resilient mountings forthe curtains, which expand and contract under relative movement between the cars, "as when proceeding on curved track, without "placing 'undue strain 'on the curtains themselves.

Another object is to provide spring rollers on which the curtains are wound, and "to provide mountings for said rollers which permit them to turn with a minimum of friction and which te'xclu'de dust, rain and'snow.

.;Still further objects and advantages of the inyention will become apparent from "the "following description; which should be read with the understanding that the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts maybe changed Without departing "from the spirit of the invention as defined'in' the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partly broken side elevation of the ends of adjacent articulated car's. Fig. 2 is a section on thefline .2-2 of Fig. .1.

.Fig. 3 is. a horizontal section, enlarged, of the roller and'its housing shown in Figs; 1 and 2.

Fig, 4 is a vertical section'of the roller showing its-bearingsand internal spring eonstruction Referring for the moment 'toTFigs. .1 and '2, the complete diaphragm comprises three separate curtains made of flexible inelastic material such as duck or canvas, which maybe (:OBJ' Bd .orsuite ably waterproofed if desired. There .a roof curtain 21 and two side curtains 22, one at each 'sideoi the \cars 23. Theside curtains 'ar-e identifoal, only one being shown .and described herein.

In the construction s'hownin 'Figs. -1 and 2, bot-h ends of the side curtain 122 :are attached to and wound upon spring operated rollers .24 mounted in bearings secured to the ends of cars-at their corners. The centeriof the'curtain :is at ta ehed. to-aa vertical; bar :25 whiohihas angle thewentralipm'tiun ottiiiee-eiirtazinaneathd's cs ifilaims. (01. arse-23 held in vertical po'sition'm'idway between tha'ends o'f the-ears. For additional strength and to preventsagging, the upper pivoted links 28 are made double, as shown in Fig. "1, there being one pair of horizontal 'links :28 and a pair of inclined bracing links 2 8a, the pivots of both pairs of links "being vertically aligned.

As the side *corners or the cars move toward :or away from ea'chtother'on curved track, the ends of the -cur'ta'in '2-2 are taken up or paid out by the spring rollers '24. There will be a small amount of in and out movement at the center of the ourtain, caused by the anguiairity of the links '21 and 2B, but this is-o'f no con-seq-uence-and'is also taken "care ofby the rollers 24.

Y Each Teller is constructed and mounted as shown in Fig. 4. It comprises a cylindrical tubular body '31 having heads 32 secured to its ends and mounted in ball bearings 33, Whose outer races are seated in *cups 3' 3 carried by angle brackets 35 secured to t-he end plate 39 and-corner post 3"6-oithe-car. "The upper head 32 has a'cen- 'tral aperture through which extends a spindle 31 whose upper end 38 is squaredor fia'ttenedand seats within 'a similarly "shaped aperture in the bracket 35. The spindle is thereby held stationar-y. intermediate head 39 is secured within the roller and has 'a step bearing "4'0 in which the lowerendof the spindle is rotatabl -mounted. A helical spring 41 surrounds the spindle within the roller, the upper end of said spring being fastened to "the spindle and the lower end being fastened "to the intermediate head 39. A few coils of the spring 41 at its upper end are wound tight around the spindle '31, as shown at 42, to distribute the s'tress, set up at the point of rigid attachment 43 between spring and spindle, and thus minimize breakage and promote long life. The "aperture through the upper head $2 "is considerably larger than the spindle 3'1, so that there is no friction at that point. 'The roller is therefore exceptionally free running, there being only "the two end ball bearings 33 and the intermediate bearing ill of the spindle 31. I'h'e'curtain (not shown inFig. i) is aftta'clhed to the roller in any conventional manner. 7

Each roller 24 is enclosed "in a housing to exthe curtain 22. The outer side of the housing is formed by a flat strip or flap 49 having a slightly out-turned forward edge 50, which is secured by a hinge 5| to the side plate 52 and corner post 36 of the car. The hinge 5| is provided with a spring of conventional type indicated at 53 which presses the flap 49 lightly against the curtain 22 wound upon the roller. The housing is thus sealed by contact with both inner and outer surfaces of the curtain, but can be easily opened to permit cleaning or removal and replacement of the roller. secured to the brackets 35 in any suitable manner, not shown.

We claim: V v

l. A diaphragm curtain for articulated railway cars comprising a sheet of flexible material ex- The bearing cups 34 are removablytending between adjacent cars approximately" flush with a side wall thereof, a vertical roller mounted at a corner of each car, the ends of said curtain respectively being connected to and wound upon said rollers, a spring within each roller acting to rotate the same to wind said ourtain thereon, a substantially vertical bar secured to-said curtain between said rolers, and pivotally mounted links connecting said bar with the ends of the cars, said bar and the central portion of the curtain being supported and'maintained in substantially vertical position by said links.

- r12. Adiaphr-agm curtain for articulated railway cars comprising a sheet of flexible material extending between adjacent cars approximately flush with a side wall thereof, a vertical roller mounted at a corner of each car, the ends of said curtain respectively being connected to and wound upon said rollers, a spring withineach roller acting to rotate thesame to wind said curtain thereon, and a pair of angularly related links having their inner ends pivotally connected to the ends of the respective cars and their outer ends pivotally connected together midway between said cars, a portion of said curtain between its ends being connected to and supported by the outer ends of said links.

3. A diaphragm curtain for articulated railway cars comprising a sheet of flexible material extending between adjacent cars approximately flush with a side wall thereof, a vertical roller mounted at a corner of each car, the ends of said curtain respectively being connected to and wound upon said rolers, a spring within each roller acting to rotate the same to wind said our-- tain thereon, a substantially vertical bar secured to said curtain between said rollers, two vertically spaced pairs of movable angularly related links for supporting said bar and the central portion of; said curtain, the outer ends of each pair of links being pivotally connected to said bar, and the inner ends of said links being respectively pivotaly connected to the ends of the cars.

4'. A diaphragm curtain for articulated railway cars comprising a sheet of flexible material extending between adjacent cars approximately flush with a side wall thereof, a vertical roller mounted at a corner of-each car,- the ends of said curtain respectively being connected to and wound upon said rollers, a spring within each roller acting to rotate the same to wind said curtain'thereon, a housing surrounding each of said rollers, each housing havingtwo-portions of its walls formed by hinged flaps, the free edge of one fl-ap bearing against the inside surface of the curtain and the free edge of the other flap bear ing against the outside surface of said curtain,

and springs for maintaining said flaps in position with their free edges in contact with said curtain.

5. In diaphragm curtain construction for rail-' way cars having a sheet of flexible material extending between the ends of adjacent cars substantially in the plane of a side wall thereof, means for attaching at least one end of said curtain to the corner of one car comprising a spring roller mounted vertically adjacent the corner of the car, a housing surrounding said roller, said housing comprising a fixed portion secured to a corner of the car, an inner movable wall hinged to said fixed portion and covering the inside of said roller, the free edge of said inner movable wall contacting the inside of the curtain, an outer movable wall hinged to said corner of the car and extending substantially in the-plane. of the associated side thereof, the free edge of said outer wall contacting the outside of the curtain, and springs acting on said movable Walls to maintainltheir free edges in contact with said curtain.

- 6. A diaphragm curtain for railway cars com.- prising a sheet offlexible material extending between the ends of adjacent cars substantially in the plane of a side wall thereof, a spring roller mounted vertically adjacent a corner. of each car, the respective ends of said curtain being secured to and wound upon said rollers, upper and lower brackets secured to each car near its corner, ball bearings mounted in said brackets, the ends ofsaid rollers being mounted in said ballbearings, a housing surrounding each roller and the associated-bearings, portions of the walls of said housing being formed by two hinged flaps, the free edges of said flaps contacting respectively the inner and oute'r'surfaces of the curtain, and springs acting on said flaps to maintain their free edges in contact with said curtain. ,7. A diaphragm curtain for railway cars comprising a. sheet of flexible material extending be tween the ends of adjacent cars substantially in the plane of a side wall thereof, a roller mounted vertically adjacent the corner of each car, the ends ofsaid curtain respectively being secured to and wound upon said rollers, each roller having a cylindrical shell, a head at each end of said shell, one of said heads having an axial aperture, brackets secured to the car near a corner thereof in which said heads are rotatably mounted,.an intermediate head within said shell, a spindle within said shell, one end of said spindle being rotatably mounted in said intermediate head and the other end of said spindle extending freely through said apertured head without contact therewith and having non-rotatable engagement with the bracket adjacent thereto, a helical spring surrounding said spindle within said shell, one end of said spring being fixed to said spindle and the other end of said spring being fixed to one of said heads, and a housing surrounding sa d'roller, portions of the walls of said housing being formed by two hnged flaps, the free edges of said flaps contacting respectively the inner and outer surfaces of the curtain, and springs acting on said flaps to maintain their free edges in contact with said curtain] 8. In diaphragm curtain construction for rail way cars having a sheet of flexible material ex+ tending between the ends of adjacent cars substantially in 'the plane of a side wall thereoff means for attaching at least one end of said curtain to a corner of one car comprising a roller mountedverticallyadjacent said corner of the car, said roller having a cylindrical shell, a head at each end of said shell, one of said heads having'an axial aperture, brackets secured to the car near said corner in which said heads are r0- tatably mounted, an intermediate head within said shell, a spindle within said shell, one end of said spindle being rotatably mounted in said intermediate head and the other end of said spindle extending freely through said apertured head without contact therewith and having nonrotatable engagement with the bracket adjacent thereto, a helical spring surrounding said spindle within said shell, one end of said spring being fixed to said spindle and the other end of said spring being fixed to one of said heads, and a housing surrounding said roller, portions of the walls of said housing being formed by two hinged flaps, the free edges of saidflaps contacting respectively the inner and outer surfaces of the curtain, and springs acting on said flaps to maintain their free edges in contact with said curtain. LEONARD R. SCHUSTER. OTTO B. SCHOENKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

